Competed for the first time in Taekwondo — here is what I learned

After 13 months of training Taekwondo I entered my first competition. I lost. It was the best thing that's happened to my development in the sport.

Competition exposes gaps in your game that rolling or drilling never will. My jump spinning back kick fell apart under pressure. My understanding of poomsae forms was theoretical, not instinctive. I came home with a specific list of things to fix, which is more valuable than any win. the unique acrobatic kick repertoire was what I took away from the experience beyond the tactical lessons. If your gym trains you for competition, do it. It will accelerate you.